LIVERPOOL HAVE REJECTED a bid worth up to £30million for Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich, the PA news agency understands.
The Reds were unhappy with the nature of the offer, which combined a basic guaranteed fee of £23.5million with £6.5million in potential add-ons they considered unrealistic.
It is the second time the Premier League club have rebuffed an approach from the German giants for the Senegal striker, who is out of contract at the end of next season.
The first bid for the 30-year-old was worth up to £25million, with £21million guaranteed.
Liverpool are understood have been unhappy with these figures given that Bayern themselves are reportedly seeking €50million (£42.8million) for their wantaway forward Robert Lewandowski, who is 33.
The latest approach has also been dismissed because receiving the full £6.5million in add-ons would be conditional on Mane winning both the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or in each of the three seasons of his proposed contract.
Mane’s future has been the subject of considerable speculation since Liverpool’s Champions League final loss to Real Madrid last month and the player himself has not given a clear indication of his intentions.
Should he leave Anfield this summer, he would do so after scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances in six years at the club in which he has won the Premier League and Champions League.
Yet Liverpool do not feel under any pressure to sell and have no intention of meeting with Bayern unless they can meet their valuation. It is understood they consider Mane of at least the value of Lewandowski.
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Ruddock Leavy Heaslip O Brien Van der Flier Murphy Fardy Conan Deegan Leinster back row strength is unreal If carlsberg did backrows they would probably not be as good as Leinsters
Rare to see two players joining straight from school in Aungier and O’Sullivan.
I just don’t know how Leinster are going to keep all these backrows happy but I hope they do.
The talent level being brought through is amazing.
@Gustave H: the great thing is the talent is flowing to the first team and beyond so they must know the way to keep them all happy.
@Gustave H: Let Ulster sign them to let them get game time.
@Christiaan Theron: I don’t think it’s a case of letting them. They want to stay and fight for their place.
From what I heard Ulster went in heavily for Jack Conan and he’d no interest.
@Gustave H: True. There’s one or two that would want to do a serious bit of thinking though. It’s admirable wanting to earn the starting spot here, but playing week in week out and in Champions Cup games in Ravenhill would stand to them more than a few Pro12 games during the Six Nations. It’s a short career, and waiting in line didn’t work out for Ryan or Madigan.
Some of these kids should go on loan to Ulster and London Irish
@Aidan O: They don’t want to.
@Lf: Shows how ambitious they are. Every player knows they have to play regular on the 23 for a province to get capped.
@Christiaan Theron: You’re right Christian, it does show how ambitious they are. Instead of moving to another lesser side backing yourself to get into a team packed full of talent that’s more likely to challenge for trophies shows serious ambition and confidence.
@Christiaan Theron: Heaslip, O’Brien, Leavy, Murphy, Van der Flier, Conan and Ruddock. All Irish internationals
@Oval Digest: You mean like Marty Moore and Ian Madigan now presently lost to the Irish national side.
@Christiaan Theron: did James Ryan not get capped for Ireland before playing for Leinster?
@Christiaan Theron: Haha those support my point! Both stayed and were in the Irish squad, when they left they were found out a bit and left out.
Why would you want to head to Ulster or London Irish if you were an ambitious, talented player from Leinster?
If anything, it would show a lack of ambition to move.
@Christiaan Theron: Ulster should try developing their own players instead of relying on Saffers and other provinces.